My Hero Is You
by Seiji and Shizuku 4ever
Summary: "Did your mother not raise you right? You're not supposed to lay a hand on a girl." This kid, this annoyingly cute kid, was trying to steal her spotlight! This was Videl's fight, she wasn't some damsel in distress that needed rescuing! /GohanxVidel/


**A/N: What's this? My first fanfic for DBZ, the very first anime I got into without knowing it was even an anime? o: xD First things first. I love it when it turns out that the best couples stemmed from having met each other as children. Don't ask me why, I just do. Gohan and Videl, from the time I first watched DBZ until now, were one of my favorite couples in the show and remain that way. I just love the transitions in their relationship. Squee, so cute! Fangirlrambleramble, anywho! I decided to experiment a bit with how I would have liked Gohan and Videl's first meeting to be, back when they were still kids. This story takes place in the DBZ movie Bojack Unbound, when Gohan's 13. So I would imagine Videl would be around twelve or thirteen, as well.**

**I would love to give a shoutout to one of my very good friends, one of the biggest DBZ and Gohan/Videl fangirls ever, Beth! She helped me out a BUNCH with this story. It wouldn't be here if not for her. She was my personal editor. Love you, chocolate swag buddy! Thank. You. SO. MUCH!**

**I tried to pinpoint how Videl would have been like when she was thirteen, probably a little sassafras. xD Hope I did ok with it. I hope y'all like it! =D**

**Disclaimer: Yes. I'm definitely old enough to own Dragonball, Dragonball Z, and Dragonball GT. -_- Even if I did, I would put myself in the show, pair myself with Trunks, and YAMCHA WOULDN'T DIE AS MUCH. **

**Read onwards, fellow nerds!**

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><p>It took a lot of convincing on Videl's part for her dad to finally give in and let her come to the Intersellar Martial Arts Tournament. Which didn't really make sense to her, Hercule usually always let her go to watch "your big man in action!", as he always put it. This time, though, he seemed really jittery and whenever she mentioned how much she was looking forward to seeing him fight the winner, Hercule would brush it off and abruptly change the subject. Videl shrugged this off; her dad had his really weird days, and she'd learned to grow accustomed to it.<p>

Videl didn't watch the fights with Hercule in his quarters with all of his stupid women. She went to the bleachers in hopes that maybe just this once she could feel like a regular viewer, just a normal fan watching just like everyone else. All over she was recognized as Videl Satan, daughter of _the _Champion Hercule Satan. She'd enjoyed it at first, but now it was getting old. She was tired of the paparazzi and not even being able to do something as simple as hang out with friends or go out to eat without someone recognizing her and making a big fuss about it. She just wanted to be treated like everyone else. _Not _a celebrity.

The crowd was getting antsy as the tournament grew nearer and nearer to starting. Videl herself was impatient. This was why she hated coming early: she hated the wait. She was debating on getting up to go get some snacks from the concession stand, but if she did, there was a great probability that she would lose her seat. She'd been very precise about choosing her vantage spot; she wasn't surrounded by people yet she wasn't isolated, and she had a perfect view of the battlegrounds. Finally her grumbling stomach couldn't take it any longer. "Heck with this. I'm getting food," she thought aloud, eyeing her seat with wistfulness as she got up, hoping it would still be bare by the time she returned.

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><p>Chi Chi had been sure to give Gohan a huge breakfast before they left, but now he was hungry again. Not due to nerves (well..maybe a little), because even if he didn't win, he knew he stood a pretty good chance against the contestants. He hadn't been trained by Piccolo and his dad for nothing. But it was like his dad said, when you get hungry, you get hungry. And Gohan didn't like to fight on an empty stomach. He wanted to do his best today, because there was a good chance Goku was watching from above in Other World, and he wanted to make his father proud.<p>

Besides, there was still some time before the fighters participating all had to be accounted for, and if there was anything Gohan could do, it was eat fast. He just hadn't anticipated how long the line would be at the concession stand. He sighed as the line gradually moved an inch, and he peered around the people in front of him to see how it was progressing. He sweatdropped.

The one ordering was the same woman he'd seen when he checked ten minutes ago. She had a bawling baby in her arms and she was staring at the menu, still trying to decide. "I think I'll get the chili frie.. no, that's not good for my diet. Popcorn is too overdone. Maybe some nachos? Oh, but my husband is lactose intolerant.." So on and so forth.

Groans and exclamations of "Move it along, lady!" and "We don't have all day!" (among other - rude - comments) sounded behind her, but if the woman heard any of it, she gave no inclination.

Suddenly Gohan's sharp ears picked up on something other than complaints of the woman ordering. "Hey, watch it, buddy!" He turned as the young feminine voice pierced the air, just in time to see the source of the voice flip the bird at the guy behind her. Gohan's eyes rounded in surprise, stifling a small amused grin. A girl with an attitude? Not something you see everyday, unless you were Gohan. She reminded him vaguely of his mother.

But then Gohan's trouble senses started going off. The guy that girl was picking a fight against looked rough. Big and muscular, tattoos, a vulgar face. By now Gohan had made it his business to notice the telltale signs of someone who would start trouble, and this guy was on his radar. The guy glared at the girl and stepped forward, but to Gohan's surprise, the girl didn't back down. Unfazed, she glared right back at him, not moving an inch. Gohan raised his brows with interest, impressed.

"Put that finger away or I'll break it," the man growled.

"No cuts, old man. Don't you have any decency?" the girl scoffed without skipping a beat, her eyes fiercely alight.

"What are you, five? Out of my way, little girl."

Gohan didn't know how it was possible, but now she looked even more enraged. "Little girl, huh? Can a little girl do this?" In one swift motion she grabbed the guy's wrist and snapped it back, her eyes never once leaving his face. Gohan's brows shot up high. _Whoa.. she looks my age. She has serious guts! _If it was anything Gohan admired, it was the ability to stand your own ground.

The guy gave a surprised, pained sound between a grunt and a yelp, then his face darkened. He grabbed the girl's arm and yanked her toward him, hard. The girl inhaled sharply, her only sign of pain. "Hey! Don't you know who I am? Get your filthy hands off me!" She kicked him in the shin, hard, voice loud.

Gohan had a high sense of justice, whether it was something as trivial as a candy bar being stolen or major like someone being in serious trouble, and food left his mind as a sharp look lined his face. It was his time to step in, since nobody else around was. He stepped forward, losing his place in line but not caring at the moment. "Let her go!"

Both their gazes snapped in his direction, and for the first time Gohan got a good look at the girl. She had long black hair pulled into high pigtails on either side of her head and the prettiest, most unique eyes he'd ever seen. Somewhere between a fuschia or lavender or maybe even a light blue. She was.. really cute, actually. Gohan forced back a blush and his thoughts; now wasn't the time.

The guy smirked. "You say something, kid?"

Gohan clenched his fists. "Yeah, I did. Did your mother not raise you right? You're not supposed to lay a hand on a girl."

Something indecipherable flashed across the girl's face - respect? anger? - then surprise, as the guy abruptly released her. "Who do you think you are, runt? I think I need to put you in your place!"

Gohan sighed, scratching his head. "Listen, I don't want any trouble, and I don't want to make a scene near where the food is. Not to mention I'm running out of time. I need to show up for the tournament."

The guy sneered, grabbing the collar of his gi. "Why? Does your mommy want you to come straight back to the stands?"

Gohan was calm, even as the man took a fistfold of the cuff of his shirt. "No sir," he replied evenly. "Because I'm _in_ the tournament."

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><p>Videl was ticked off, and not just at the guy that'd tried to shove past her in line. This kid, this annoyingly cute kid who butted into her business, tried to take over <em>her <em>fight! This was her fight, and just because she was a girl didn't mean she was a helpless damsel in distress that needed rescuing. She absently rubbed the already-sore arm the guy had grabbed. _..He just caught me off-guard! That's all! Hmph, what an attention-hog! Glory stealer! _She was the daughter of the Martial Arts Champ Hercule Satan! She could hold her own! _Stupid boy!_

Just a bit of her anger faded as it became obvious the boy had been brought up to respect girls. _Well.. if he was just trying to help.. and not take over my fight...that's a little better. _

Videl tried not to look impressed, but it probably showed anyway, at how calm the boy was, even when the guy lifted him up by the collar of his shirt. He was just so chill, like, 'This is nothing, doesn't bother me.' _..This kid's interesting. _She backed up a bit but continued to watch. How was no one else in line noticing this? _Too focused on getting their stupid food. Ugh. Typical._

"Because I'm _in _the tournament."

Videl let a sharp gasp escape her lips. _**What? **_He was a _contestant? _She looked at the boy more closely, noticing his gi, pretty much the mark of any fighter. And he _was _a bit muscular.. but he couldn't be much older than she was! His voice hadn't even broken yet! And he was in the _tournament? _Her mind was blown.

The guy blinked, then laughed it off. "You? What a joke."

Videl suddenly realized that this was her chance. The guy wasn't focused on her. She could totally catch him off-guard! A small smirk graced her lips as she coiled her muscles and braced herself, running toward him. The boy noticed and was ready for the unexpected attack, when Videl expertly threw her balled fist in the guy's ribcage, then swung her leg under his, knocking him off his feet, and the boy grabbed the guy's wrist and flipped out of his grasp. All in a split second. The punk literally didn't know what hit him.

The guy was on his back on the hard ground, the breath knocked out of him. The boy, suddenly right next to Videl, turned to face her. "He's in shock. Let's get away while we still can, before everyone notices the commotion." And suddenly he was leading her away.

Once they were far away enough from the concession stand, Videl jerked away from the boy, wheeling around to glare at him, fists planted on her hips. "Who do you think you are?" she snapped.

The boy blinked, regarding her with confusion. "Ah.." His hand shot to the back of his head, nervously. "Gohan. And what's your name?" he responded politely.

Videl opened her mouth, then closed it, then opened it again, narrowing her eyes at him. "You mean you seriously don't know who _I _am?" she demanded.

Gohan studied her, then shrugged, rubbing his head sheepishly. "I'm sorry, no. Should I?"

"Well _yeah!_" she burst out before she could help herself. "I'm Videl! Videl _Satan. _Does that ring a bell, or do you live under a rock?" She jutted out her chin, lifting it stubbornly.

Gohan's big onyx eyes rounded. "You mean.. you're related to Mr. Satan?" he gaped.

Someone who didn't know who she was. Even though she thought it was annoying at first, it was.. refreshing. A nice change. Videl nodded with pride. "Guess you're not such a blockhead after all. He's my father." Now that they were pretty much literally face-to-face, she noticed how really cute he was. Spiky black hair and nice eyes, just a bit taller than her. Before he could answer, Videl peered closer at him suspiciously. "Are you _really _in the tournament?" Now that the shock of the moment had faded, it seemed rather farfetched and sketchy. Surely a shrimp like him couldn't stand his ground against big, powerful men. _Especially _not her father.

"Oh! The tournament! Oh my Kami! I'm probably late!" Gohan panicked, turning to go, then stopping himself. "It was nice to meet you, Videl!" Wait.. were his cheeks red?

Videl crossed her arms and looked away. "Whatever. I didn't need help, you know! I could've handled it just fine by myself!"

Gohan was staring at her with some kind of small warm smile that touched something deep inside her. "I have no doubt about that." He chuckled sheepishly then, his cheeks flushing. "But for the record, I think we make a great team." His genuine smile caught her offguard and made her blush. "See ya, Videl!" Before he rounded the corner, he turned back to wave at her and get his last long look before disappearing out of sight.

Five minutes later Videl found herself still rooted to the spot, staring in the direction Gohan had left in. Warmth seeping into her cheeks, she scoffed, forcing herself to jerk her gaze away. "Hmph. What a weird kid," she said aloud as if to ward off these weird feelings and prove to herself that she didn't care.

Sneaking one last look down the corner, Videl went back to the stands to see if her seat was still vacant.

Where she found out that, yes, Gohan actually was in the tournament. And the entire time, he was the only fighter she watched.

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><p>Gohan tried to push away his feelings considering his meeting with the Videl girl, tuck away the thoughts. He needed to focus on the fight.<p>

He'd never had a real interaction with a girl before, not one his age like that (well, besides Lime.) Chi Chi was weird on the subject about girls. Some days she would share her dreams of having lots of grandchildren one day, then when someone playfully teased Gohan, asking him if he had a girlfriend yet, his mother would spazz out and scream angrily that "MY SON IS WAY TOO YOUNG TO BE THINKING ABOUT A GIRLFRIEND!"

In fights, concentration was of the utmost importance. If you took just one second to sneak a glance at the bleachers, your attention would be thrown off and you could be taken out like that. So Gohan never bothered to try and see where Videl was sitting. He tried not to ponder too much on the fact that she was somewhere probably watching him.

Even in the hospital room with everyone, in his bed, after defeating Bojack, Videl returned to his mind as he saw Hercule on tv. As everyone laughed, he hid a small smile, something deep in his heart stirring with the promise of what the future would bring, at the hopeful prospect that maybe, just maybe, their paths would cross again.

_I hope we meet again one day, Videl.._

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><p><strong>AN: Sooo? Did ya like it? :D Feedback would be muchly appreciated. The title of this fanfic is based off the song "My Hero Is You" by Hayden Panettiere, because whenever I listen to it I ALWAYS think of Gohan and Videl.**

**On a sidenote, because I'm sure some of you are wondering what Videl would look like as a preteen, these are what I had in mind: **

**http :/ i40 .tinypic .com /b49fo7 .jpg**

**http :/ i44 .tinypic .com /110iur7 .jpg**

**Thanks for reading! ^_^**


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